For surfactants and surface treatment agents with fluorochemical chains longer perfluoroalkyl chains contain a higher percentage of fluorine at a given concentration and provide better performance. However, fluorinated materials are more expensive. Reduction of the fluorine content with delivery of the same or higher performance is therefore desirable. Reducing the fluorine content would reduce the cost, but it is necessary to maintain product performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,059 discloses amides derived from hexafluoropropylene oxide polymer acids and monoamine terminated polyalkylene oxide, that function as surfactants and emulsifying agents. These compounds contain a single perfluoroalkyl chain which was exemplified as containing eight or more carbon atoms.
It is desirable to improve surfactant or surface treating agent performance and to increase the fluorine efficiency, i.e., boost the efficiency or performance of the surfactants or treating agents so a lower proportion of the expensive fluorine component is required to achieve the same level of performance, or to have better performance using the same level of fluorine.